Four people are homeless after fire ripped through a Westwood Plateau residence shortly after 3:30 a.m. Friday morning.

Fire crews believe a barbecue or possibly some lit candles on the back deck of a Cliffrose Crescent home are responsible for the blaze, which torched most of the main floor and did significant damage to a basement suite.

Coquitlam fire chief Tony Delmonico said the fire burned extremely hot and four neighbouring houses were also damaged.

"They all had vinyl siding that was damaged," he said. "It was so hot that one of the windows cracked and a skylight melted as well."

By the time crews arrived the home was fully engulfed, with flames coming out of the roof and all four sides of the building.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to contain the blaze and members were just returning to the hall at around noon on Friday.

Delmonico said preliminary estimates pegged the damage at more than $300,000 for the home where the fire started and about $5,000 to $10,000 for the neighbouring structures.

Two people lived on the main floor of the home and two more lived in a basement suite on the property. Nobody was hurt in the blaze.

With the warmer weather Delmonico said fires from barbecues, tiki torches and backyard candles become more prevalent.

Residents should be certain that all flames are properly extinguished before putting them away. Barbecues should also be in proper working order and propane tanks should not be left in the sun.

gmckenna@tricitynews.com

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